Nicotine is increasingly being promoted online as “the secret to strength”, largely due to its ability to acutely increase alertness, arousal, and perceived readiness. These claims are usually anchored in language around neural excitability and max power output.

While nicotine does exert measurable effects on the nervous system, the scientific literature paints a much more nuanced—and far less sensational—picture.

Why Nicotine Is Being Framed as a Strength Enhancer

Neural Excitability and Central Nervous System Arousal

Nicotine acts as an agonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and stimulates central neurotransmitter systems including dopamine and norepinephrine. This results in increased alertness, attention, and sympathetic nervous system activation (Benowitz, 2009; Mündel, 2017).

These effects can increase perceived readiness, sharpen focus, and reduce subjective fatigue—particularly in nicotine-naïve individuals or habitual users experiencing withdrawal relief (Heishman et al., 2010; Mündel, 2017).

Key distinction:
Nicotine increases arousal, not adaptive neural capacity.

Claims of Increased Maximal Strength or Power Output

A limited number of controlled studies have examined nicotine’s effects on strength and power. The findings are inconsistent:

• One placebo-controlled crossover trial showed a modest increase (~6%) in leg extensor torque with low-dose nicotine gum (2 mg), but no improvement in countermovement jump or Wingate power output (Mündel et al., 2017).
• Other studies have shown no effect or even reduced force production depending on tolerance, dose, and delivery method (Escher et al., 1998; Morente-Sánchez et al., 2015).

A comprehensive narrative review concluded that most performance studies show no significant ergogenic effect, with outcomes split between neutral, mildly positive, and mildly negative results (Mündel, 2017).

What the Performance Literature Actually Shows

Across ten controlled studies and sixteen distinct performance outcomes:

• ~75% showed no effect
• ~12.5% showed a positive effect
• ~12.5% showed a negative effect

(Mündel, 2017)

Importantly, these studies were limited by:

• Small sample sizes
• Recreational or sub-elite participants
• Variable nicotine tolerance
• Inconsistent delivery systems
• Short-term outcome measures

There is no strong evidence supporting nicotine as a reliable enhancer of maximal strength, repeated effort performance, or long-term training adaptations.

Why Nicotine Can Work Against Strength and Muscle Growth

Short-term arousal does not equal long-term adaptation. Strength and hypertrophy depend on recovery, nutrient delivery, hormonal balance, and sleep—all areas where nicotine can be counterproductive.

1. Vascular Effects and Blood Flow Considerations

Nicotine exerts complex cardiovascular effects, including sympathoadrenal activation and vasoconstriction in certain vascular beds (Benowitz & Burbank, 2016).

While some studies show transient increases in skeletal muscle blood flow under specific conditions, nicotine is also associated with:

• Cutaneous vasoconstriction
• Altered endothelial function
• Increased cardiovascular strain

(Benowitz & Burbank, 2016; Whitehead et al., 2021)

These effects may impair nutrient delivery, metabolite clearance, and recovery efficiency, particularly with chronic use.

2. Cortisol and Catabolic Signaling

Nicotine exposure—especially via smoking—has been shown to increase circulating cortisol concentrations, reflecting activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (Wilkins et al., 1982; Mendelson et al., 2008).

Chronic elevation of stress hormones:

• Promotes muscle protein breakdown
• Interferes with anabolic signaling
• Compounds overall training stress

This does not mean nicotine “destroys muscle,” but it does mean it adds catabolic pressure that must be offset elsewhere.

3. Sleep Disruption and Recovery Quality

Controlled studies using transdermal nicotine demonstrate:

• Increased sleep latency
• More nocturnal awakenings
• Reduced REM sleep duration

(Gillin et al., 1994; Page et al., 2006; Choi et al., 2017)

Sleep quality is one of the strongest predictors of:

• Strength retention
• Hormonal balance
• Injury risk
• Long-term performance consistency

Any compound that degrades sleep quality undermines the foundation of strength development.

4. Muscle Protein Synthesis and Smoking Data

In older adults, habitual smoking has been associated with:

• Reduced muscle protein synthesis
• Increased expression of genes involved in proteolysis

(Petersen et al., 2007)

Important nuance:
This evidence reflects smoking (which includes many toxic compounds), not isolated nicotine replacement therapies. However, in real-world use, nicotine consumption frequently occurs via vaping or smoking, making this data highly relevant.

5. Appetite Suppression and Energy Intake

Nicotine suppresses appetite and alters satiety signaling (Benowitz, 2009). For strength athletes, reduced caloric intake can:

• Limit hypertrophy
• Impair recovery
• Reduce training tolerance

This effect is often overlooked but becomes significant during high-volume or mass-building phases.

Vaping, Smoking, and “Smokeless” Nicotine: Important Distinctions

• Nicotine replacement therapies (gum, lozenges, patches) are substantially safer than smoking
• Vaping avoids combustion toxins but still delivers nicotine
• Nicotine itself remains biologically active, regardless of delivery method

(Benowitz & Burbank, 2016)

“Less harmful” does not mean “performance enhancing.”

Anti-Doping and Sport Governance Context

Nicotine is not prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. It has previously been included on WADA’s Monitoring Program, reflecting interest in usage patterns rather than evidence of performance enhancement (Mündel, 2017).

This status underscores the current scientific consensus: insufficient evidence to classify nicotine as a true ergogenic aid.

Practical Interpretation for Strength Athletes

Nicotine may:

• Increase short-term alertness
• Alter perceived readiness
• Provide withdrawal relief in habitual users

Nicotine does not:

• Build muscle
• Improve long-term strength adaptations
• Enhance recovery
• Replace foundational training variables

Strength is built through repeatable high-quality training supported by recovery, not through transient arousal.

Final Verdict

Nicotine is not “the secret to strength.”

At best, it is a situational arousal tool.
At worst, it is a chronic recovery liability disguised as a performance hack.

The evidence supports one conclusion clearly:

Nicotine may change how strong you feel today—but it does not make you stronger tomorrow.

References:

• Benowitz NL (2009). Pharmacology of nicotine: addiction, smoking-induced disease, and therapeutics. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology.
• Benowitz NL, Burbank AD (2016). Cardiovascular toxicity of nicotine: implications for electronic cigarette use. Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine.
• Choi SJ, et al. (2017). Effects of transdermal nicotine on sleep architecture and sleep quality. Sleep and Breathing.
• Escher SA, Tucker AM, Lundin TM, Grabiner MD (1998). Smokeless tobacco, reaction time, and strength in athletes. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
• Gillin JC, et al. (1994). The effects of transdermal nicotine on sleep in non-smokers. Psychopharmacology.
• Heishman SJ, Kleykamp BA, Singleton EG (2010). Meta-analysis of the acute effects of nicotine and smoking on human performance. Psychopharmacology.
• Mendelson JH, Sholar MB, Goletiani N, et al. (2008). Effects of nicotine on cortisol and prolactin levels. Neuropsychopharmacology.
• Morente-Sánchez J, Zandonai T, Mateo-March M, et al. (2015). Acute effect of snus on physical performance and perceived cognitive load in amateur footballers. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
• Mündel T (2017). Nicotine: sporting friend or foe? A review of athlete use, performance consequences and other considerations. Sports Medicine.
• Mündel T, Machal M, Cochrane DJ, Barnes MJ (2017). Effects of nicotine gum on strength, power, and anaerobic performance in nicotine-naïve males. Sports Medicine Open.
• Page RL, et al. (2006). Transdermal nicotine and sleep disturbances. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
• Petersen AMW, Magkos F, Atherton P, et al. (2007). Smoking suppresses muscle protein synthesis and increases muscle breakdown. American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism.
• Whitehead JC, et al. (2021). Nicotine exposure and vascular dysfunction. Journal of the American Heart Association.
• Wilkins JN, et al. (1982). Nicotine, smoking, and cortisol response. Psychopharmacology.